Despite Unofficial 'Zero Dark Thirty' Ban, Pakistan Critics Bash Film

Zero Dark Thirty hasn't been released in Pakistan, but that hasn't stopped local critics from bashing the film's portrayal of the country.

Theaters in Pakistan have little reason to show the movie, as prolific pirating has made it unprofitable. "As a local distributor, there was no financial viability for me. The film was already widely available in the [pirated] DVD market," said Mohsin Yaseen, general manager of Cinepax to NBC.

In fact, the mass pirating of the film has allowed critics in Pakistan's mainstream media to take on the film's inaccuracies. "Zero IQ Thirty," proclaims Nadeem F. Paracha. In his column he breaks down some of the more egregious errors in the Oscar nominated film:

"1: Pakistanis speak Urdu, English and other regional languages and NOT Arabic;

2: Pakistani men do not go around wearing 17th and 18th century headgear in markets;"

He also mentions a scene in which a heavily-armed outfit waits outside the US Embassy, impossible since the embassy is in an area called the Diplomatic Enclave that has heavy security and requires permits to enter.

"With millions of dollars at their disposal, I wonder why the makers of this film couldn’t hire even a most basic advisor..." laments Paracha.